Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.And she, for whatever reason, spares his life.

Tess is the exact opposite of her beautiful, athletic sister. And that’s okay. Kristina is the sporty one, Tess is the smart one, and they each have their place. Until Kristina is diagnosed with cancer. Suddenly Tess is the center of the popular crowd, everyone eager for updates. There are senior boys flirting with her. Yet the smiles of her picture-perfect family are cracking and her sister could be dying. Now Tess has to fill a new role: the strong one. Because if she doesn’t hold it together, who will?

Janet Gurtler tests the bonds of sisterhood in this moving debut that readers of Jodi Picoult and Sarah Dessen will savor.

Note: This book's previous title was 'Weight of Bones', but it's getting a new title and along with that is a new cover but it's yet to be released, so this would do for now. I like it though, love the colors!

Celebrating the end of exams with best friend Grace, 17 year-old Alex rescues a swan caught on a wire in the Thames mud and finds an extraordinary bracelet. Through its disturbing and compelling powers, she finds Callum, a soul locked in a half-life of sadness and mystery following a terrible accident, and his persuasive and sinister sister, Catherine. As Alex and Callum grow closer despite the enormous obstacles to their love, the dangers mount until Alex must risk everything to save Grace and Callum must risk everything to save Alex.

-----

Why I'm waiting for Anna Dressed in Blood:

The first line in the summary did it for me. Your average girl meets boy, girl kills people story? I think even with that one line, you'll get the feel of what the story will be like. It's definitely different than most YA books I read, since, well, the girl kills everyone. So excited for this!

Why I'm waiting for I'm Not Her:

Looks like a lot of "sister books" are coming out next year. I'm glad I found a few that I would really like, including this one. It's got a more serious tone than most YA novels I read and deals with "the C word", but I really want to read it. I can relate a lot with the theme of this book as well. And I'm also a Dessen fan, so I'm Not Her is definitely in my must-read list for 2011!

Why I'm waiting for Small Blue Thing:

I just read a non-spoiler review of this book, and I must say... a YA supernatural book without vampires? Please, send a copy my way and I'll read it! So if it doesn't have vampires in it... but deals with the supernatural... then who and what is Callum? My interest is piqued!

Oh my gosh Kai, you picked such great books this week! And they're all new to me so I get to add them all to my list, Happy Holidays to me:) Love the cover for The Weight of Bones, the colors are beautiful!

How to Knit a Heart Back HomeBy Rachael HerronPublication date: March 1, 2011

Lucy Harrison sells books by day and volunteers with the Cypress Hollow fire department by night. Her life is just the way she likes it—full, even-keeled, and smooth—until bad-boy ex-cop Owen Bancroft comes back to town. Lucy has always been fearless, never scared about diving in to help others. When it comes to risking her heart, however, she realizes she's absolutely terrified.

In a small town like Cypress Hollow, everyone knows your business—and there is nowhere to hide. Then Lucy and Owen are thrown together by the discovery of the lost work of local legend, knitting guru Eliza Carpenter. Now Owen, adrift and struggling to redefine himself as a civilian without a badge, will have to learn how to open himself up to life's new possibilities . . . while Lucy decides just how much of herself she's willing to gamble on love.

These are certainly different. That Anna dressed in blood, sounds way over the top. Folks are really stretching themselves to come up with something unique. I'll definitely have to look more into this one.

I love getting comments from my readers and fellow bookworms, and I try my best to respond to all of them. Feel free to give me a piece of your thoughts. Also, this is an award-free blog. I simply don't have the time to highlight them anymore, but thank you for thinking of my blog!